Spurred by accusations that the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority pads its stats, Charlotte and local booster groups commissioned an outside agency to calculate the impact of the Democratic National Convention. The result? About 35,000 attendees helped generate almost $164 million, making it the most-lucrative event in the metro’s history.

As a candidate for governor, Republican Pat McCrory pledged to make government more responsive to business, so he stocked his cabinet with secretaries who have executive experience, most of them in the private sector.